Are we ever going to afford a house in OC?

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
<p>I know it is hard to believe but charming neighborhoods do exist in OC. Check it out : <a href="http://www.floralpark.com">www.floralpark.com</a> For those who still want yards, front lawn, birds and parrat chirping every morning and trees large enough for squirrel to play. Shady Canyon size properties at detached condo prices. Schools are the drawbacks but no mello roos and association fees. Check out the Home and garden tour.</p>
 
Here is a trick to get the best of both worlds. Invest in the cheapest condo fixer upper in Irvine. Rent it out for positive cash flow and use the address to send all your kids to Irvine Schools while buy a home in Floral Park with 1/3 acre property at detached condo prices.
 
Or you can just make "friends" with a local Irvine resident. That sort of stuff was rampant in the San Gabriel Valley. I wouldn't be surprised if it still went on.





For the premium that some neighborhoods command, it's almost cheaper to settle for a little less and send your kids to private school. But I currently do not have children so I don't know if that's even realistic.
 
<p>I heard about that in Arcadia and San Marino. People living in bordering Alhambra and Temple City parents sending their kids to the good schools using their friends address. They even added their names on some un-important utility bills like cable and change carriers to help out another friend. </p>

<p>Through my research I knew of a dozen Asian families are doing that in West Irvine. That is why the top ranking Pioneer Middle School has 72% Asian student body population. </p>
 
<p>Try this link for some pictures of "affordable" housing in OC <a href="http://www.projectplayhouse.org/playhouseshowcase.html#top">http://www.projectplayhouse.org/playhouseshowcase.html#top</a></p>

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<p>bks,</p>

<p>I can't find a place in Floral Park proper under $800K. I'll look back in the summer. There are a couple of monster 5/4 3500sf. homes there around 1.3M or so.</p>

<p>To clarify, I'm only looking ON or East of Flower, North of 17th, South or on Riverside, West of Broadway. West Floral Park is meh.</p>
 
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<p>There is one on the market for 2.6 million. You know the geography quite well. West of Flower is West Floral Park consisted of mostly single story homes. There are gems in there but not every home is spectacular. Paul Williams designed several homes in West Floral Park during the 40's. Several homes in Floral Park went for $550 on 1/4 acre properties several months ago. They were all great condition but they get snatched up immediately. Sandy DeAngelis the owner of Seven Gables Realty sold her extra house for $550,000 well below the market when she moved into her custom home she built in Floral Park. You really have to look there regularly because many may not even make it to the website. I am an open house junkie because I like to see old homes.</p>
 
Ok, it makes sense after reading that. At first, I thought these homes were designed to be actual shelters for homeless people. It seems they are auctioned off during fund raisers.





Then the proceeds are used to develop real shelters for the homeless?
 
<p>The homes in Floral Park are about 20 years older and have more "mature" yards. The neighborhood is equally safe IMO.</p>

<p>I want one of the older homes. My last home was build in the late 1940's and frankly, my furnature fits.</p>
 
<p>The area around North Santa Ana is very safe. The area by South Coast Plaza over the years has given Santa Ana a bad reputation. The area between Bower Museum and Main Place Mall will soon be the urban core od OC downtown. project similar to </p>

<p><a href="http://www.7fountains.com">www.7fountains.com</a></p>

<p> will be built across the Bower Museum. Modernist Steven Ehrlich </p>

<p><a href="http://www.s-ehrlich.com">www.s-ehrlich.com</a></p>

<p> </p>

<p>was hired to design the live work now completed and Polyzoides will begin Hollywood courtyard style mixed use soon </p>

<p><a href="http://www.mparchitects.com">http://www.mparchitects.com/index2.html</a></p>

<p>It is very smart for Santa Ana to bring cutting edge LA architects to the area instead of hiring cookie cutter experts from Irvine to design signature landmarks. I do like the works from these 2 top architectural firms. Check out their website. Real Estates in the area is still consider relatively cost effective compared to Irvine or Tustin. Elementary schools grade 1-6 in North Santa Ana is good but Middle School 7-9 is very bad then the School of the Arts 10-12 is rank similar to Irvine. 3 years of private schools is not so bad considering saving close to $1300/month on mello roos and home association dues and use that money to upgrade to a nicer home.</p>
 
<p>bk,</p>

<p>The Hollywood courtyard style. Wasn't it call " Cordoba Courtyard"? It looks similiar to the John Laing "Ave. E" design, wouldn't you say?</p>

<p>I wouldn't mind living there. But from the experience of the Santiago Lofts residents, it's very discouraging with how they have to fend off taggers and homeless people on a daily basis. For some laugh, you might want to Yahoo 'Santiago Lofts' and it'll take you to the website by the current residents.</p>

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Santiago lofts is buried into a very quite industrial part of the city. It does not have any city vehicular traffic as a result taggers like the extra time to enhance embellish their graffiti. Developments on Main Street will not bear the same fate as Santiago Lofts. Avenue E was designed by MVE a cookie cutter firm. No comparison to Moule Polyzoides design. It is like Gia to BMW. Look at the 7 fountain website and do you think that is Avenue One?
 
BKSHOPR- in your opinion what are some really good design SFR homes in OC. old or new. anything below 500k? looking for HB, FV, irvine, and westminster. thanks.





what i am looking for a good design and structure cause i would like to get an old house and gut it and put in new updates stuff to my liking.
 
Buy in area where your future neighbors have good taste in maintaining their homes interior and exterior. Asians focus of a home is always about function and not about aesthetic. They would pave over the front yard with concrete to park another car and turn the garage into a guest room. Since older neighborhoods do not have architectural patrols a property could be ruined aestheticaly so do not buy in older neighborhood with high Asian population and especially immigrants if your concern is beauty. ( I am not trying to be racist here) It is a known fact through marketing research that immigrants rarely shop at Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardwares and Willian Sonoma for accessories to beautify their homes. Asian neighborhood is well sought after by other Asians so the market appeal is good when you decide to sell. Westminster and Fountain Valley are both Asian communities. Academic standing of latch key Asian kids from in this part of town is less emphasized than kids with college educated parents living in Irvine/Tustin.



HB has an ecletic feel that fit your lifestyle better. Irvine may be too new for you to find the charm of an old house.
 
i hear ya about the asian family turning their garage into another room. it is a culture thing, where they would want their kid to live at home until they get marry. i like westminster homes only because they have big lots and potential. most house are L shape with high ceiling but is cover up and almost every single house have orginal hardwood floor. plus not to mention it is alot less expensive vs some of the other city i mention, i think westminster has so many hidden potential house.



As for HB.... that is where i grew up and i know the area, but not much about the design of the house. plus it is extremely pricey. 550k and up for a starter home in a decent area.
 
Look for a place with diversity. Buy low and improve your home to match the comp of your wealthier neighbors. Westminster and Fountain Valley were communities of the post war era. Houses and lot sizes are very similar so therefore the comp will be similar without fluctuation. Some may have ruined the exterior with lave rock veneers and some may have upgraded to crown mouldings and ceiling fan. The most may even be a burger king glass solarium extended into the yard. The uniformity will limit your home improvement potential. Irvine has tons of standing inventory that IR posted daily because everyone is trying to sell the same house. You indicated that you want to make your home nice and your hard work should be a reward when you plan to sell your home. I guarantee that you will not stay in the same home for a long time. Be wise and shop for the cheapest house that you can afford in an expensive location. I have been there and done it. I have been burned when I was younger because there was no IHB back in the days of sliderrule.
 
To tell you the truth 400k is not much to work with. Most of listings are in the undesirable part of the city. Garden Grove, Stanton, South Santa Ana, Anaheim and Buena Park. Going attach will get you into better neighborhoods. FV and Westminster are the right targets for a detached home for 400k. There is an enclave in Westminster with very old homes (1900's) near Hoover and Westminster. If you can find some in North Santa Ana (North of 17th East of Bristol) get it. With the right improvements you can bring the value up to 800k due to the high price ceilings around the area. The key is finding those 2 br houses on a big lot. Old timers bought them a long time ago for $20,000 so they are not too greedy if they have to sell.
 
right now i am planning to wait it out until FV price drop. i am targeting the area near Mile square park. around hail and newhope. ranch style. 1300-1500 sqft. price is around 559k right now. hoping it will drop to 450k.



i checked out the area you spoke about around westminster and hoover. it is ok neighborhood wise. alot of immigrant asian. i am ok with that. what i dislike is the price.... they are still asking for 500k for a 1900-1948 house with small sqft. on top of that alot of the home has been turn into either mcmansion or tore down and turn into townhomes on a SFR lot. neighborhood looks weird, and i am thinking it will take at least 50 years before the transformation is complete, especially now with the housing market going into a downturn.



i try to stay away from santa ana all together even though i know that north santa ana is really nice, wife is oppose to living in santa ana. Garden Grove has some really nice home design and layout but it is a bit far from my work in newport.



what do you think of the FV ranch style house? it is kinda of weird because i seen alot of garage is a direct access to the house though the bathroom which is attach to the master and another room. cool design but sorta weird.



http://redfin.com/stingray/do/printable-listing?listing-id=1235039
 
This reminded the very first home that I own and was burned terribly by over improvements. Function you described sounds odd. I think the previous owners did it. I think a few bad apples spoiled the whole crop in Santa Ana. For this same reason there are still good properties to bargain for. Have you checked out the area around there?
 
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